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Thursday, August 2, 2012

How much is a snack???

No furniture talk today.....we have tabled the discussion until we actually see the set we are talking about (because there is always a chance that once we see it, we change our mind). We do have a preliminary plan, but I will talk about that another time.

BTW....has anyone found Judy yet?????

And today's topic.....snack at the movies.

The kids are going to the movies with camp as the field trip today. All the field trips are included in the price of camp, so there is no additional cost associated with the trip itself. BUT....if you want to buy a snack at the movie....then you have to supply extra money.

In the past, camp always went to the local, in-town theater. The theater had worked out a deal with Parks and Rec for a discounted Kids' snack pack for Parks and Rec trips. For $5, you got a popcorn, drink, and a little candy thing (think Jolly Rancher, but gummy). We typically let the kids get snack, as going to a movie is a rare treat (we go MAYBE 1-2x a year), and movie popcorn is sort of part of the experience.

Well, the movie theater has changed hands, and is under renovation right now (and it needed it!). So the camp is going to the next town over to the theater. However, there is no "deal" for snack over there. Camp recommended sending $10 per child to cover snacks (a bottle of water is $5!!!).

Two kids x $10 = $20.

No.

G-man and I talked about it, and said that is just too much. We could send them with $10, and they would have to share something, but that would cause other issues. There are many siblings at camp, and if everyone did that, the poor camp counselors would spend the whole trip dealing with that. Additionally....my kids tend to have issues sitting together (and the theater has already stated that they do not provide extra cups for sharing).

So we decided that they would just go without snack. It is part of learning. You don't always get what you want (hmmmmmm.....). And you can still enjoy the movie without the popcorn.

Enter Sassy. She came downstairs this morning with a HUGE handful of change and a few dollar bills. She wanted to use her own money to buy snack. Ok then. (For the record, I know how much is in her piggy bank......and $10 won't even phase it!). She counted out the money, and I gave her paper money in exchange for the change (I didn't want to send $7 in change with her!). She is happy. She found another way, and learned that 1) Mom and Dad will not always say yes, 2) You have to decide how to spend your money, and 3) We had a review of counting money.

So now there is Bossy. If he wants popcorn, we will (together) take money from his piggy bank. He doesn't have an appreciation of the value of money (something we are working on. He thinks a car and a candy bar cost the same).

3 comments:

Ugh, cinema snacks are such a rip off, not to mention extremely unhealthy. Good for you and G-man on standing together in that issue. Some lessons are not fun to teach, but that's great that she came and brought her own money. There's many ways to teach a child a lesson, but knowledge learned is better than knowledge given anyday.